This blog rarely covers news. After all, this is a Russian language learning blog, not a current events and politics one. Today, however, is different. As you know, at 4:32pm Moscow time on January 24^th, «в аэропорту Домодедово прогремел взрыв» [an explosion thundered through the Domodedovo airport].

At the time of my writing this post, «министерство Российской Федерации по чрезвычайным ситуациям» [Ministry of the Russian Federation for Emergency Management] places the death toll at 35 people. Another 130 are injured, many «находятся в тяжёлом состоянии» [are in critical condition].

The blast was called «теракт» [a terrorist attack] and the remains of a suspected «террорист» [terrorist] were found. This is a horrific event and, breaking with the usual cheerful way of our blog, the words for today are the words of grief and shock.

«ужасающий» – horrific

«варварский» – barbarous

«жестокий» – cruel

«бесчеловечный» – inhuman

«шокирующий» – shocking

«трагедия» – tragedy

«терроризм» – terrorism

«противостояние» – strife

«нетерпимость» – intolerance

«беда» – disaster

«горе» – woe

«беспомощность» – helplessness

«преступление» – crime

«бесчувственный», «бессмысленный» – senseless

In the following days there will be, no doubt, much «поиск виноватых» [finger-pointing], «перекладывание вины» [laying blame], and «перебранка» [squabbling]. There will be «теории заговора» [conspiracy theories], «домыслы» [wild guesses], and «скоропалительные выводы» [snap judgments].

But there will also be «сострадание» [compassion] and «сочувствие» [empathy]. There will also be «молитвы» [prayers] for the victims and their families.

While there isn’t much many of us can do to help the victims and their families, we can all try not to succumb to «злоба» [hatred] or, for that matter, stay «безразличный» [indifferent].

There really isn’t much left to say, but to «выразить соболезнования семьям погибших» [express condolences to the families of the victims] and «пожелать раненым скорейшего выздоровления» [to wish the speediest recovery to the wounded].